1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to rotary devices, such as centrifugal separators, which are normally required to maintain their temperatures at predetermined values, and more particularly to a unique arrangement for supporting a heart exchangeable container used in such rotary devices.
2. Prior Art
Centrifugal separators, used in the fields of medical science or agricultural science, are generally equipped with adequate cooling devices for maintaining the temperature of test samples at designated temperatures.
One of such cooling devices is a thermo-module utilizing Peltier effect. For example, Unexamined Japanese Patent Application (Tokuhyo) No. SHO 61-502016 or Unexamined Japanese Patent Application (Kokai) No. HEI 4-277048 discloses a cooling device comprising a thermo-module disposed on a radiator (heat sink) and a container mounted on the thermo-module. The temperature of the container is maintained at a constant value by varying the flow direction of an electric current supplied to the thermo-module.
In such an arrangement of a cooling device, a contact surface between the radiator and the thermo-module, or a contact surface between the thermo-module and the container, is not so flush as an ideal plane. This is why heat-conductive grease is normally applied on the contact surface to increase the transfer of heat. However, if any dislocation is caused in the process of successively mounting the thermo-module and the container on the radiator, it is definitely necessary to adjust the position of the container to a correct position. In such an adjustment, there is a possibility that the heat-conductive grease is undesirably spread out in accordance with the slide movement of the container, resulting in the lack of heat-conductive grease within the area of the contact surface.
This will be explained in greater detail with reference to FIGS. 5 and 8. A plurality of thermo-modules 7, after being applied heat-conductive grease on the bottom thereof, are placed on an upper surface of radiator 3. A plurality of ball-pieces 12 are mounted on thermo-modules 7 and are fixed by means of screws.
Then, heat-conductive grease is applied on the upper surface of each ball-piece 12. A cooling container 2 is placed on the ball-pieces 12 through heat-conductive grease and is fixed by means of screws 9b.
However, in the mounting operation of cooling container 2 on ball-pieces 12, ball-pieces 12 are virtually concealed by the bulky bottom of cooling container 2. Hence, for an operator, it is very difficult to check the position of each ball-piece 12. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 8, it is usual that the axial center of screw hole 14 opened in ball-piece 12 is undesirably offset from the center of a hole 15 opened on the bottom of cooling container 2 when the cooling container 2 is placed ball-piece 12.
The operator is, therefore, forced to adjust the position of cooling container 2 with respect to ball-piece 12 by sliding cooling container 2 in a direction shown by an arrow. Such an sliding adjustment of cooling container 2 possibly causes undesirable spreading of heat-conductive grease out of the contact surface between cooling container 2 and each ball-piece 12, resulting in the serious lack of heat-conductive grease within the area of the contact surface.